


Tony Stark's Toy Shop

by Tchailenova



Series: Fortune-Cookie Inspiration [1]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Avengers Family, Gen, Post-Avengers (2012), Protective Steve Rogers, Steve Rogers Feels, Team Bonding, Team as Family, They live in avenger's tower and everything is happy and good, Tony Stark Feels, Tony Stark Needs a Hug, and he loves outfitting his teammates with the best stuff, nothing hurts and everything is beautiful, seeking company after a nightmare, tony has a toy shop
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-01
Updated: 2016-06-01
Packaged: 2018-06-06 10:00:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,030
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6749140
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tchailenova/pseuds/Tchailenova
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>While the team is still slowly coming together and their friendships are still a little brittle and raw, Steve is impressed with the “toys” (read: gear) the team has been gifted by Tony. Not entirely used to receiving these kinds of reactions from his teammates, Tony covers it with some snark about always having the best toys. However, Tony’s bravado doesn’t quite cover up his morbidity and Steve notices ... and he concocts a (brilliant) plan: “Surround Tony with Life and Friends”</p>
            </blockquote>





	Tony Stark's Toy Shop

**Author's Note:**

> OK so this one might be more Tony-centric than I'd originally planned... I'm a huge sucker for Tony though, so I am not really disappointed and I shouldn't really be surprised, either.
> 
> Setting: Post Avengers, while team is still slowly coming together, though they do all live in the Tower at this point  
> Fortune Cookie Inscription: Life is like a very short visit to a toy store between birth and death  
> Wonderfully Beta'd by: SableDreamer
> 
> Enjoy, you fiends, and know that I adore you!

Having taken refuge from his nightmares in the gym which had been generously outfitted, Steve noted Tony’s entrance with a feeling caught somewhere between surprise and worry. The training rooms were generally empty at night, which was part of the reason Steve always sought them out when he couldn’t sleep. Tony’s habit, however, was always to seek refuge in his workshop. Steve knew that he wasn’t the only Avenger to suffer from interrupted sleep, and he knew that they each had their preferred places to go when they needed solitude in the dead of night. Clint preferred the range, and Bruce could be reliably found making tea in his crash room - deep warm colors on the walls and soft music in the background. Steve had never once known Tony to deviate from his patterns, and unless he was developing a rather spectacular case of sleepwalking, there was little chance Tony had accidentally wandered in. While not unwelcome, his presence was unexpected, and unnerving.

Steve paused in his routine, steadying the bag as it swung back towards him, and watched as Tony slowly made his way past various pieces of equipment. His hands were stuffed deep into his pockets and he looked a little like he’d seen a ghost. Steve knew well how that felt.

He spoke into the quiet, gesturing to the ring in the opposite corner, “That sparring robot is a work of art, by the way.”

As expected, his words drew Tony’s focus like a magnet. “It’s a highly complex Modified Combat AI, Steve,” and though the words were the same as they might have been, he thought Tony’s typical ‘exhausted mockery’ tone lacked the usual sarcastic lilt.

Steve just nodded and pressed his point, “Actually, all of the stuff you design for us is amazing. It feels kind of like I’m in a toy shop, or something.” He’d intended his tone to be light and awed, but as soon as the words left his mouth, Steve felt more like a child than anything else.

Tony smiled effortlessly in that way he always did to deflect attention from where it was unwanted, and his tone was full of that unique blend of snarkiness and pride, backed by the slightest edge of laughter. “Of course I have the best toys,” He said, as though it were the simplest fact of his existence.

Steve didn’t really blame him for his ego, he’d certainly earned the right to brag. Suddenly, he recalled a flash of memory from Before The Ice with Howard in his well-appointed workshops and smiled warmly. Without really thinking it through, he said fondly, “Yeah, Mr. Stark always did, too.”

Tony winced at the mention of his dad and Steve bit his lip, aware of the many difficulties between himself and Tony that had been sparked by similar incautious comments regarding Howard. Steve watched, frozen, as Tony’s posture shifted. His shoulders and back straightened, and his chin tilted as his eyes narrowed. It was Tony’s “media pose” and Steve recognized it as the armor it was.

Seeming to summon up even more strength and brassy courage from within himself, Tony spoke effortlessly, though Steve could hear the strain behind it, “Of course you gotta have the best stuff. Especially when we work this close to death…” Tony trailed off, getting caught somewhere in his thoughts before physically shaking himself out of them again, “It’s a damn shame if you don’t take your chances to live it up while you can…“ This time, his tone was strong and defiant, sounding almost like he was daring some unseen witness to argue with him.

Tony’s bravado didn’t quite cover up his morbidity, and Steve’s lips twisted ever so slightly downward. He noticed the way Tony had gotten stuck in thoughts of death, and Steve himself had lost count of their brushes with the same in the past few weeks alone.

For a long moment, Steve’s thoughts took his entire focus and he let the silence settle easily between them. He was disappointed, disliking Tony’s showy bravado as It felt insincere, rather than an honest expression of Tony’s abilities. He marveled that it was even necessary for Tony to have developed such defenses, considering how charming and gold-hearted he really was. Then he remembered the many cynics who’d been let loose in the media, and realized that they were probably the main reason. Some of the things they’d said were simply unforgivable.

Tearing himself from his thoughts, Steve realized his gaze had landed on Tony’s arc reactor. It was humming pleasantly just at the lower edge of his hearing, barely loud enough to pick out over the hum of the fluorescent bulbs in the training room; a round circle of blue light peeking cheerily through the threadbare t-shirt. Smiling easily to disarm Tony’s wary expression, Steve thanked him warmly, citing their fortune in his ingenuity and cleverness.

After a long stretch of comfortable silence, Tony left the gym, and Steve realized that he’d recognized something of himself in Tony’s over-strong bravado. It was the same sort of protectiveness that he’d felt toward the Howling Commandos. Tony couldn’t safely throw himself on top of live grenades (though that likely wouldn’t stop him), but he could easily provide them with more advanced technology to keep them better protected. It probably came from the same source that drove Tony to find company tonight, rather than stay cooped up alone in his workshop.

Steve resolved himself to his new campaign: Surround Tony with Life and Friends. He hoped it would help Tony remember that he wasn’t alone, and keep him from getting lost inside himself quite so often. It would also help him to know that as much as he had their back, they had his. Theirs was a family bond. Sure, it had started as a grudging team; a cooperation born of convenience and necessity, but it was more than that now. Tony seemed to be having some trouble understanding the reality of it; like he didn’t know how a tight-knit family was allowed to act around each other. The thought hurt with the sharp sting of truth, and Steve privately swore to change that.


End file.
